This post was updated on 12/11/18
Sunday 20th January 2013
We were going into London for a family lunch (the two of us). It is likely I was rushing around to get ready-not sure now. When I got in the car, I flopped forward, like a rag doll. It was like my energy level was zapped away. The smallest movement was a real effort. My husband tried to hold my head up, not easy or particularly safe when he was driving. Not long after my energy went, my right arm started shaking, seemingly all by itself. This lasted about an hour. It was scary because I had no idea what was happening or how to stop the symptoms, but at the same time the fatigue meant I couldn’t think about it too much-I almost felt numb. By the time we’d parked, I felt able to walk to the restaurant and was more alert; I felt tired rather than completely fatigued. When we sat at the table, my husband held my hand and he told me later this was to stop any possible shaking of my arm. I remember thinking this was kind of him. It must have been pretty scary for him, not being able to help.
Saturday 2nd February 2013
I felt really tired after a busy few days at work. Two hour each way travel time, busy days and then still work to do in the evenings. So on the Saturday morning I was less than enthusiastic about a 4 hour Fat-Burner day that I’d booked myself on months before. With messages such as, “don’t make excuses” and “you’ll feel better for exercising, just need to get there”, I made my way to the hall-albeit a little late!
After the first hour I started feeling dizzy so went into the adjoining room to take a break. One of the fitness instructors came to check on me and told me to sit with my head between my knees-that didn’t work of course. And then the quite violent muscle tremors started in both legs and my right arm. They would last for about a minute or so. I was lying on the floor with my legs up, as much as they would go up.
I had people plying me with sugar; chocolate milkshake, energy bars as the only conclusion anyone could come to was that I must need, sugar. All I know was that I felt tired and dizzy and the more my arm and legs were in tremor the more tired I was becoming. It’s very unnerving being in that situation, out of control and not knowing how to feel okay again. It took about an hour to be able to sit up, ring my mum to come and collect me.
So next we went to the doctors….
So then started the first of many trips to the doctor. He concluded that I was exhausted. That didn’t really mean too much to me, as people use that word too lightly-but thinking about it I really was-mentally, emotionally and physically. I needed to rest and my energy would return. I’ve never been very good at resting and relaxing. There always feels like there’s so much to do. If I do try and just sit, a guilty feeling creeps in. However under doctor’s orders and because I really had no other choice, I rested and waited for my energy to return.
